,SOLDIERS' FOOD.
Leeleeth How Anibleside, 23d November 18d4.
IT eau EBSI ago the present Secretary at War was at great pains to regulate the dietary. of military prisoners. It would be worthy of his hu- manity were het° direct his attention to the rationing of the troops now in the field before Sebastopol. I sin induced to make this remark by reading in the last number of the _Medical Times and Gazette, under the head of " Medical News from the Army and Navy in the East, from a Correspondent in the Fleet," the following—" The Russians, the poor soldiers say univer- sally, are nothing to the cholera and diarrhoea. The next thing will be scor- butic dysentery ; for they have been, since they landed, almost constantly on salt provisions, and there are no prospects of better fare, while also the cold wet weather will soon aet in." This is a dreary and lamentable prospect, and if the antecedents be true, the circumstances mentioned as to diet and climate are sure to be realized ; that is, should the siege be protracted, and no measures taken, such as might be taken, to ward off or to mitigate the threatened evil. The rationing of our troops lies always been bad, and a subject more or less of complaint and remonstrance. For the information of those not acquainted with the kind and quality of the soldier's rations on foreign service,--for instance, in our Colonies, and during a period of peace, (where none of the difficulties as regards supplies occur contingent on an active campaign,) I may mention, that it consists essentially of beef and bread, with no change excepting an alternation twice or thrice in the week re salt meet for fresh. The bread is commonly of wholesome quality ; the fresh meat almost universally of objectionable quality--ill fed and poor, and this because contracted for by the t ommiasariat at a low rats-
It is melancholy to think that a soldier, who in _mere money worth is so valuable to the country, is not better taken care of. Thousands upon thou- sands of our troopsliave perishedin our Colonies, especially in the West In- dies, from dieease produced or aggravated by bad diet. In the Navy we have a striking and mostinstructive example of the be- nefit resulting from attention -to diet, in conjunction with other sanitary measures. Before the time of Captain Cook, the diseases of a fleet long at sea were even more formidable and more fatal than those of the camp. That excellent officer first showed bow the health of a ship's company could be preserved on the longest voyage. The method now is well understood, and is so admirably carried into practice, that even the climate of the Western coast of Africa is to a great degree rendered innocuous. If we compare the kinds of food constituting the diet of the man-of-war's-man with that of the soldier of the Line, and the contract-prices in the accounts of the Com- missariat and of the Victualling Office, we scarcely need any other data to account for the 'superior health -of one service over the other. 'Writing from recollection, I believe the price paid for -meat for the Navy, on all average, is more than double that charged for meat for the Army, the quality of the two of course corresponding. But to the .point. Is it right, is-it necessary, that our troops in the Crimea should be subsisted chiefly on salt provisions, subjecting them to dire dis- eases, more fatal than the fire of the enemy scurvy, diarrhoea, and that most terrible of army diseases, dysentery ? With an open sea, with a com- manding fleet, with steam-vessels innumerable, with the market of Con- stantinople within little more than twenty-four hours' distance, it seems strange and almost inexplicable that rations of fresh meat are not supplied to the army. And set Ilielieve the explanation is simple and easy. The system of supply is niggardly ; a false economy is observed in the victualling of our troops.
Were the system different from what it is, were cost left out of oonsidera- don in preserving the soldier's health and efficiency, no doubt some difficulties would occur from time to time in providing the very beat supplies ; but these, I apprehend, might be met and overcome by attention to equivalents,—mean- ing thereby, other articles of diet of a -wholesome kind, fitted by their na- ture to supply the place of butcher's-meat in the soldier's daily rations; such as cheese, butter, peas, articles which can be sent in bulk, and no- wise perishable, which contain a good deal of concentrated nourishment ; and how many other articles might not be mentioned, such as pemican, pre- served meats, preserved vegetables?
Medical comforts are furnished to our military hospitals; why should not army comforts be supplied to our troops in the field ? If they were, we are quite sure that there would be a saving of the former, and a vast saving of health, life, and efficiency. Why at the present moment should there not be cargoes of the most useful articles of diet sent to the Crimea? With what satisfaction would be hailed at Balaklava the arrival of a ship signal- ized to be freighted with cheese, followed by others conveying ample supplies of teas, coffee, sugars, preserved meata, Ric. Then we should hear no more of our poor soldiers holding the Russians as nothing in comparison with cho- lera and diarrhoea.
Regarding the other apprehended cause of disease alluded to by the Medi- cal Times correspondent, cold and wet, it is to be hoped that some provision is being made to ward off their effects. I know, from experience, how variable, treachero and dangerous, is the climate of the East. I have wit- nessed a heavy fall of f snow at Constantinople during the present month, and heard of men frozen to death in the neighbourhood of that city in the month following. The climate there is dependent on the direction of the winds. If from the South, from the Mediterranean, mild ; if from the North, cold, and with strong winds from the distant snowy regions, severely cold. We should not trust to Mary Wortley Montague's letters, she indulging in all the luxuries of an ambassadorial palace, for an account of the winter climate of these regions. It is better expressed by the circumstance that the Turkish _troops have two sets of clothes, their summer and winter set, and that the ,men on sentry-duty are commonly provided with a greatcoat lined with fur. Fortunately, the bazaars of Constantinople are capable of supplying large quantities of warm winter clothing, especially felt shoes and boots and s It is stated in the papers, that houses and huts of wood are about to be sent to the Crimea for winter shelter of our troops. In a letter from a medi- cal officer of She Navy of high rank, and of even higher authority, who has had ex erience of the winter intensity of cold of the Arctic regions, and who erraceeded in preserving the lealtliof the party during the whole of the time it was under his command, the suggestion as thrown out that iron huts and houses should be forwarded with as little delay as possible to the East for winter use. The advantages of iron as a material for shelter for a be- sieging force are most obvious; and being suggested by an officer familiar with the inclemenoies of the severest winter, in comparison with wood, I cannot but think must be deserving of preference.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant, Joie; DAVY, M.D.
inspector-Goneral of Army Hospitala,
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